RM246.5m to sustain Cameron Highlands since 2014: DPM Ahmad Zahid

PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government spent RM246.5 million to sustain Cameron Highlands through 'Op Gading' since 2014 until last year.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Home Minister, said the amount included RM88 million spent by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) in the project to deepen a dam as a flood mitigation measure.
"This clearly shows the continuous efforts of the federal and state governments in sustaining Cameron Highlands as a famous tourism destination and to raise the production of the country's economic produce through sustainable agricultural activities," he said in a statement here today.
The statement was issued in conjunction with the Cameron Highlands Rehabilitation Joint Action Committee Meeting chaired by him together with Pahang Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, at the National Security Council (MKN), here today.
The focus of the committee meeting, the first one held this year after the last one in May last year, was to evaluate the status of the action taken by agencies concerned throughout the whole of last year and to discuss the action plan for the rehabilitation of Cameron Highlands for this year.
"As a whole, the rehabilitation of Cameron Highlands through OP Gading in 2017 had been implemented smoothly and achieved its operational objectives," said Ahmad Zahid.
He said the meeting today decided on four major issues to continue the rehabilitation of Cameron Highlands.
They included the MKN to continue to play its role as the steering agency in Cameron Highlands and coordinate the implementation of Op Gading IV in an integrated manner with collaboration from the federal government agencies and the Pahang state government.
In addition, waste products from aluminium, steel, timber from the plastic house structures destroyed during the Op Gading I and Op Gading II in the Permanent Forest Reserve areas (HSK) must be disposed off and cleared immediately.
"Helicopters from the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) and Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) would also be used in the aerial observation operations and aid operations during natural disaster if needed," he said.
In line with the speech by the Regent of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, the Deputy Prime Minister said an army sub-unit would be stationed permanently in Cameron Highlands for the purpose of enforcement against illegal settlement or encroachment on government land and eliminating illegal immigrants in Op Gading IV.
Ahmad Zahid said a slope mitigation project costing RM1.15 million at the Sungai Tiang Orang Asli settlement was being implemented and scheduled to be fully completed in February.
"With the implementation of this mitigation project, a total of 13 houses (involving 28 families) of Orang Asli living in Sungai Tiang need no longer move because the existing site has been guaranteed safe," he said.
He added that the implementation of Op Gading I up to Op Gading III last year succeeded in preventing illegal settlement of government land and also ensured that the flood mitigation and river cleaning works carried out went smoothly to prevent the occurrences of natural disasters such as mud floods and land slides.
He said the re-greening programme for Cameron Highlands at the Permanent Forest Reserves and areas which had been rehabilitated were actively implemented by issuing Temporary Occupational Licence (LPS) to those eligible especially entrepreneurs who depended on agricultural products to sustain their families.
"The collaboration between the Federal government agencies and the Pahang state government in this operation had also ensured the recruitment of foreign labour force was better managed and subsequently ensured in the long run that the production of agricultural produce was not jeopardised," he added. — Bernama